ทำลาย
destroy
Native recording
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- 1 destroy、damage、ruin、eliminate
- 2 break (a record)、surpass (a record)
This word describes causing something to lose its form, function, value, or good condition. With a record, it means to break or surpass it.
destroy、damage、ruin、eliminate
To severely damage or destroy something, including physical objects, health, the environment, trust, evidence, or harmful organisms.
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พายุทำลายบ้านหลายหลัง phaayú thamlaay bâan lǎay lǎŋ The storm destroyed several houses. พายุทำลายบ้านหลายหลัง details
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การสูบบุหรี่ทำลายสุขภาพ kaan sùup bùrìi thamlaay sùkkhaphâap Smoking damages your health. การสูบบุหรี่ทำลายสุขภาพ details
break (a record)、surpass (a record)
To surpass a previous record by achieving a better result.
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เธอทำลายสถิติโลก thəə thamlaay sàthìtì lôok She broke the world record. เธอทำลายสถิติโลก details
Learning notes
Explanation
The central idea of ทำลาย is causing something to lose its form, function, value, or good condition. It applies not only to physical objects and buildings but also to the environment, health, trust, and other abstract things. It can also describe destroying evidence or killing germs through heat. It is normally a transitive verb used in the pattern “subject + ทำลาย + object.” The subject does not have to be a person acting intentionally; storms, fire, pollution, and similar forces can also ทำลาย something. In ทำลายสถิติ, “break a record,” the word has no negative implication and can describe a positive achievement.
Usage
It is common when discussing destruction caused by disasters or war, damage to property, environmental harm, health risks, damaged trust or relationships, destruction of evidence, sterilization, and record-breaking performances. It is used in both everyday speech and more formal news or official writing.
Caution
ทำลาย is fairly strong and often suggests serious damage or loss of function or value. To say that something simply broke or stopped working, พัง may be more natural; เสียหาย can describe damage without implying total destruction. For directly saying that a person or animal was killed, ฆ่า is normally used.
Differences from similar words
1 destroy synonyms
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กำจัด emphasizes removing or getting rid of something unwanted, such as pests or a problem. ทำลาย emphasizes destroying it or depriving it of its function or value.
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พัง commonly describes something collapsing, breaking down, or no longer working. ทำลาย is normally transitive and focuses on something causing damage to an object.
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รื้อ refers more specifically to dismantling or tearing down a structure or installation. ทำลาย is broader and can also take abstract objects such as trust or health.